Hollybed Farm Meadows Explained

Hollybed Farm Meadows
Map:Worcestershire
Map Width:210
Location:near Castlemorton, Worcestershire
Coordinates:52.0358°N -2.3205°W
Grid Ref Uk:SO 780 375
Operator:Worcestershire Wildlife Trust
Designation:Site of Special Scientific Interest

Hollybed Farm Meadows is nature reserve of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, about west of the village of Castlemorton, in Worcestershire, England. The habitat is grassland.

Description

The site was purchased by the Trust in 2013,[1] with help from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and members of the Trust. It is the Trust's largest meadow nature reserve, with an area of .[2]

Far Starling Bank, a meadow in the reserve, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.[3] It is a hay meadow, with plant species including crested dog's-tail, meadow vetchling, sweet vernal-grass and burnet saxifrage. In recent years, hay from Far Starling Bank has been strewn across the rest of the reserve, to increase the diversity of species.[2]

Birds attracted to the meadows include green woodpecker and willow tit; many species of butterfly have been seen, such as brimstone, small tortoiseshell and comma.

An old orchard in one field, with mature pear trees, is being restored, and pear trees of a local variety have been planted here.[2]

Links and biodiversity

The Trust believes that links between areas of countryside are beneficial for biodiversity; it notes that this reserve is one of several grasslands in the area.[2]

Coronation Meadow

In 2013, Far Starling Bank was named Worcestershire's Coronation Meadow, part of a project led by the charity Plantlife to name a wildflower meadow in every county to celebrate 60 years since the Coronation of Elizabeth II.[2] [4] [5]

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/17635727.rare-flowers-return-meadows-near-malvern-hills-conservation-project-continues/ "Rare flowers return to meadows near Malvern Hills as conservation project continues"
  2. https://www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/nature-reserves/hollybed-farm-meadows "Hollybed Farm Meadows"
  3. https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1007243 "Starling Bank SSSI"
  4. https://coronationmeadows.org.uk/meadow/far-starling-bank-malvern "Far Starling Bank, Hollybed Farm Meadows, Malvern"
  5. https://coronationmeadows.org.uk/about "About"